Fellowship Programme

Each year, the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library and the Museum Plantin-Moretus (Antwerp) offer a short-term Nottebohm fellowship to two researchers. The fellowship is intended to promote research on our collections for the history of the early printed book (15th-18th century) in Antwerp, with the gracious support of the Thierry and Frédéric Nottebohm Grant of the Nottebohm Family Foundation. 

These grants are intended to allow scholars to travel to Antwerp to conduct research on the collections of both institutions with a minimum duration of two weeks. Successful applicants are expected to start their research visit within one year after the acceptance.  

The grant provides a maximum of 2000 euros for researchers living in Europe and a maximum of 3000 euros for researchers outside Europe. The grant can only be used for transportation and accommodation.  

The research grant is intended for researchers of all nationalities and at any levels (early career, independent or established scholars), whose place of residence is more than 250 km from Antwerp. Projects must relate to specific items or collections in our institutions.  

Prospective grantees are asked to consult our websites for detailed descriptions of the collections.

Applications should contain:

1. A concise curriculum vitæ of the applicant, with a short bibliography of relevant publications;
2. Two letters of recommendation signed by persons who have a good knowledge of the research domain and the applicant's scholarly work;
3. An application letter, which must include the following:
   - A research proposal or project description of no less than 750 and no more than 1500 words with the research questions the applicant intends to answer and the methods that will be used
   - A description or list of the items or specific collections that will be studied
   - An indication of the time the researcher will be spending in Antwerp;
4. A budget proposal of how the allocated funds will be used. Note that only transportation and accommodation costs will be funded.

Applications should be sent to steven.vanimpe@antwerpen.be and zanna.vanloon@antwerpen.be. 

A jury will award the grants on the basis of the relevance of the proposal to at least one of the institutions, as well as the merits, feasibility and significance of the project. 

Applicants will be notified of the decision by November 1, 2025. Successful applicants are expected to start their research visit within one year after the acceptance.  
The grant will be paid after the conclusion of the research period, based on a written report (1000-2500 words) and proof of costs for each item on the budget. 

Successful applicants are to mention the grant in all publications, including articles, books, book chapters, presentations, or posters, based on research conducted with the grant’s support. We look forward to receiving copies (print/electronic) of publications based on research conducted with the grant. 

The grantees will be asked to write a short article or to be interviewed for public outreach (website, newsletter, social media) by the institutions. They may also be asked to conduct an on-site workshop with their research materials for students and researchers of Antwerp University. 

Curators of the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library and the Museum Plantin-Moretus will support the grantee in their research. This includes an intake interview, a personal introduction to the collections and the available instruments, and regular feedback sessions.